11-Year-Old Was Abandoned By His Foster Parents, Then An Unlikely Hero Steps In

Back in 2018, a young boy named Anthony found himself all alone in the world. His parents put him up for adoption when he was just four years old, but instead of finding a loving family, he bounced around the foster system for seven years until eventually, one foster family abandoned him completely. Just when things were looking utterly hopeless, one phone call connected him with a stranger who would change his life forever.

Dire Straits

Social worker Jessica Ward barely knew what to do with Anthony. His most recent foster parents had flat-out left him at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the 11-year-old boy had nowhere to go. Jessica had one last option, just to get Anthony some care for the weekend while she figured out his next placement. If this didn't work, She'd be at a dead end.

The Phone Call

Jessica asked Peter Mutabazi, a local foster parent, if Anthony could stay with him that weekend. It wouldn't be anything long-term, she insisted. The boy's story tugged at Peter's heartstrings, so even though he wasn't completely sold on the idea, he drove over to the hospital.

Helping Hands

Right away, Peter seemed to take to Anthony as no other adults had. Then again, he was a pro when it came to helping kids. For three years, Mutabazi had dedicated himself to being a foster father and helping those in the system. But he wasn't so keen on taking Anthony in at first.

Hesitance

While talking to Love What Matters, Mutabazi explained there might have been a possibility Anthony never came into his life. Previously, he had been fostering two young brothers for seven months. The week before Anthony, Mutabazi learned the siblings would be reunited with their birth parents. Mutabazi had been grieving their departure, but he figured accepting Anthony into his home would help them both.